Filtering apparatus.



No. 869,372. PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

' -D. J. KELLY.

FILTBRING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILBD JAN.6, 1907.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Snueufo'a Jaw/ 07 f f/iiy with uses No. 869,372. PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907. D. J. KELLY. FILTERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED JAILB, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

9 i u asses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID J. KELLY, OI" SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR TO THE KELLY FILTER PRESS CO.,

. v ()l" SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH.

FILTERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

To all about it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID J. KELLY, a citizen of the United States. residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented new and useful Improvements in Filtering Apparatus, ml which the following is a specification.

.\l v invention relat s to certain new and useful imprmements in apparatus for separating liquids from solids. and particularly to an apparatus which is adapted for the treatment of valuable 1nliteral-bearing slimes to remove the solid materials from the liquid; the apparatus is also useful in other fields as well as the metallurgical industry, for instance, said apparatus will he found of value in separating the liquid matter, as molasses or wash water, from the masseeuite or solid matter in the manufacture of sugar.

My invention consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts which I will hereinafter describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views,ligure l is a diagrammatic view of a. system of apparatus enlbodying my invention, the filtering tank being shown in vertical section. Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the wheeled carrier for supporting and transporting the movable bottom of the tank to one side of the vertical plane of the tank when it is desired to discharge the solid contents oisaid tank. Fig. 3, is a horizontal sectional view on the line :l2.41 oi Fig.v 1. Fig. 4, is-a (letail of one of the filter diaphragms showing parts broken away. Fig. 5, represents a modified guide and clamp tor the filter diaphragms. Fig. (i, is an enlarged plan view of one oi'the modified guides and clamps of Fig. 5, showing the perforated pipe in cross section. Fig. 7, is an enlarged cross sectional view of a diaphragm showing caked material on the filter sides thereof, the dotted lines showing the position of the filter sides when under the influence of external pressure.

In carrying out my invention I employ a stationary, vertically disposed pressure tank A oi any desired horizontal cross section, having suitably supported or contained within it, a series or battery of vertically arranged filter diaphragms.

The tank A is made 0t any desired material and size and hassuflicient strength to withstand the internal pressure to which it is subjected, as well as the weight. of the filter diaphragms and the solid matter col lected upon their outer sides in the form of cakes. While the apparatus is, as before mentioned, suitable for the treatment of various substances to separate the liquid from the solid contents, I will in the following description consider the apparatus as intended for the treatment. of valuable mineral-bearing slimes and particularly to an apparatus [or littering the same, so as to remove by filtration, the solid constituents thereof.

The tank A is intended to be stationary and to be maintained in an upright. or vertical position upon a suitable framework or support and to this end I prefer to rivet or otherwise secure to the outer sides of the tank, the supporting lugs a.

The tank is open at. both ends,but has removable closures for said ends, as I will now explain. The closure for the upper end is in the form of a head I) to which is connected a pressure gage c and the pipe d through which the slimes are conducted to the tank; an overflow 'pipe 0 also connects with the head I), and in the head under the delivery end of the supply is fixed a battle plate f for deflecting the course of the slimes received thereon.

To the rim of the head I) is riveted or otherwise secured an angle-iron or other band or ring I), and to the upper end of the tank A is secured a similar band or ring a, these two bands or rings having their horizontal flanges seating one on the other and being removably secured by bolts g. To assist in obtaining a liquid tight joint; between the removable head and the upper end of the tank, I may form one of the h0rizontal flanges of the rings with a groove and form the flange of the other ring with a tongue to engage said groove and a suitable packing or gasket therein.

At suitable points on the interior of the tank I bolt or otherwise secure the horizontal guides it these guides being oppositely arranged and being substantially of U-form and serving as means for spacing and guiding the vertical or upright filter diaphragms D upon the outer sides of which the solid constituents of the material being treated are collected and caused to adhere;

The filter diaphragms may be of any desired number arranged in battery or parallel series and are spaced from each other and from the inner sides of the tank as shown. i

Each filter diaphragm comprises a. foraminous or reticulated sheet or plate '5 of metal or other suitable material over which is secured the fabric covering j. \l'ire cloth especially that of the well known double-criniped type is well adapted for the internal plate and forms a. light; and yet rigid and substantial backing for the fabric covered sides, which latter may represent canvas or other suitable textile material of sutlicicnt but; fine mesh to allow the liquid matter to pass through and yet prevent the passage of solid matter which it; is designed to collect upon the outer sides of the canvas.

In practice, the canvas or fabric is substantially in the form of a bag and completely. surrounds the inner forziminous plate, as well as the pipes G and E hereinafter mentioned, whereby the only points of communication to the interior of the filters are through the meshes or pores of the canvas or fabric and through the nipples l and m of inlet and outlet pipes T, and M hereinafter d eseribed. i

To facilitate the removal of the slime cakes and to prevent the solid matter from building up around the edges of the filter diaphragms and connecting the cakes formed on two opposite sides thereof, I have found it desirable to bind the edges of said diaphragms, or bags, with an impervious substance, such as sheet tin, iron, rubber cloth, or other suitable material, as shown at it.

Each filter .has securely attached along one of the vertical sides of its ioraminous or screen lates, as by the appropriate clips 0, the pipe it while along the top edge of the said plate is secured a pipe 1 having numerous small holes adapted to project jetsot' asuitable i gas orliquid, but preferably steam, dowuwa rd and out- 1 ward against the upper edges of the interior surface of t the canvas or fabric sides or bags, it being understood that the pipe E suitably winner-ts with trolled supply pipe ll leading iron] :1 suitable main l/ or other source of supply, and that said pipes l3 and G are contained within the canvas or other fabric bags. 'ithin. the other side of the filter bag and secured along the other long side of the foraminous or screen platei by the clips 0 is the pipe'(} which pipe is slotted longitudinally 'along its inner side to receive the edge oi said plate and to form a common channel [or filtered liquid to be delivered to and through said pipe to the outlet pipe M through whiehlattcr pipe the said liquid passes to the outside of the tank and into an appropriate launder I.

While various forms of fittings may be used 1 show nipples Z, m, passing through holes in the sides of the tank, and'eonnected by ells to the lower ends oi the pipes L and )l which nipples serve to iurther support the filter diaphragm and also to act as sprcaders at the lower ends. Lock nuts rare employed to clamp washers 8 against suitable gaskets to prevent leakage through the tank around said nipples.

In the upper or head end of the tank is also secured a series of pipes K one in or over each space between the filter diaphragms as shown and the purpose of which pipes is to admit a spray for cleaning the tiller cloths.

One of the most important features oi my invention resides in the means for discharging aceunn-lated solid material from the lilters, and to this end 1 construct the tank with a removable hopper-like bottom and means whereby it may be detaehably locked to the tank during the operation of the lilter, and then unlocked and removed horizontally from under the vertical tank to allow the slime-eakes to be delivered into a slime dump car P appropriately plaeed in line beneath the tank.

The removable bottom 10 forms the closure for the 1 lower open end of the tank. As shown, it is of inverted eonieal or hopper form and has bolted to its upper or larger end an angle-iron or llanged ringor band ll which reacts with a flanged band or ring .2 bolted around the a lower end of the tank, to form a liquid-tight joint between said tank and the removable bottom substantially in the manner before described [or the rings or bands (1 and b at the upper or head end of the tank.

The lower or smaller end of the removable bottom 10 has riveted or otherwise secured to it a casting 12} in I \vhieh is turnably mounted the upper end or head of a vertical tightoner-serew l4 having an operating hand 1 wheel 15. This screw operates through a suitable valve eontightening nut 16 which is pierced to'receive guide bolts or rods 17 fixed to and depending from the casting 13 whereby the bottom 10 is accurately guided in its opening and closing movements.

Suitable tightening rods 18 arranged jiarallel with the. upwardly diverging sides of the conical or hopper bottom.10 have their lower ends fixed by nuts 1.9 to lugs on the opposite ends oi-the tightening nut, said rods 18 passing through guides 20 and having hook-shaped upper ends forming dogs 2] which are adapted to engage lugs 22 projecting from the ring or band 12 on the lower end of the tank. The movable bottom 10 is also provided with boxes or bearings 23 in which are journaled the horizontal shaft or axles 24 of the carrier 25 the wheels 21; oi which are adapted to travel upon a track 27 when the bottom is unlocked from the tank and lowered to engage the .vheelswith the track, and it is desired to remove the bottom l'rom under the tank to alt low the slime cakes to be discharged into the beforei mentioned slime dump ear.

I Associated with the tank I have shown means for prol viding a circulation during filtration, of the material i to be separated, these means ineluding a slime pulp supply pipe 30. a leaching solution supply pipe 31 and a washingsupply pipe 32 these pipes leading from suitable sources of supply. 'lhese pipes are valv'e-conl trolled and they and the overflow pipe deliver to the ieed end of a pressure pump 33 from which the delivery 1 pipe (7 leads. an air cushion 34'being provided in said l pipe. To the removable bottom is also coupled a drain and circulating pipe 35\,h aving a ilcxible conneet ion which ('UllllQkiS by pipe SG with the delivery pipe of the pump It A pipe 37'forms a drain for the excess solutions and it delivers into the..lir pper-end of a pump 3-8 whose delivery pipe 39 has 1 anches 40, ll and 42 leading. respertivelyyto the slimes supply tank. the leaching solution tank and the washing liquid tank. l 'llu-se several pipe ermneetions will be better understood in conneei ion with the following description of i the operation of the apparatus: The removable bottom 7 10 having been securely attached to Inessure tank by the tightening mechanism shown or other suitable means, the tank is ready tobe lilled with material to be filtered or separated. "1y opening a rock (1) in the slimespulp supply pipe 30, the centrifugal pump 33 (which may be of the single or multiple stage) being in motion causes the slime pulp to pass along the suction pipe of this pressure pump and then up the delivery pipe (I and into the pressure tank A. As the pressure tank is lilled with slime pulp, the air in the tank is displaeed and escapes thrr'iugh the overflow pipe 0. .\n overflow of slime pulp through this pipe 0 indicates when the tank is-[ilh-d. and the valve 3 is then closed. series of val ves 1W controlling the outflow of filtered liquid from tillers r main open so long as liquid conl'es out lear: but in case of a lilter becoming faulty and leaking slime pulp the valve cmrtrolling it may be closed. The pressure tank, having been jilled with slime pulp the lil-ter diaphrag'ms are surroundml by the same, and the clear liquid passes through the (auvas l bags to the interior and thence through suitable channcls to the individual outlet pipes )l which disehan'ge into a common launder which is placed ii. a suitable position outside n'essure tank. The s lid matter l meanwhile collects upon the exterior surfaces of lilter diaphragms and, as this filtration is dependent upon pressure, means are shown whereby any desirable pressure is maintained. The two-stage pump 33 shown in the drawings supplies the pressure; and valve 4 regulates the degree of pressure. Valve 5 regulates the circulation of sliines pulp in the pressure tank during filtration. For instance, it it is desirable tokeepup a rapid circulation in the tank, then valve 5 can be opened wide.

In practice, the pumps are designed to deliver slimes pulp against a certain resistance or head. The maximum pressure available in the tank therefore depends upon the speed of the pumps. If the outflow of liquid from the tank is as rapid as the inflow, the pressure will be small; but if the outflow is hindered the pressure increases, reaching its maximum when the outflow is completely stopped. Therefore valve 5 can be r gulated to give any desired circulation in the tank, or to govern pressure, or both. Valve 4 which is on a pump bypass, can also be used to advantage to regulate pressure in the tank. In short, by means of the valve arrangement shown, the pressure can be regulated and the circulation controlled during filtration.=

When it is considered desirable to discharge the accumulated solid matter from the sides of thefil ter bags, the excess slime pulp is run out of the pressure tank and returned to the slimes pulp supply tank through the pipe 40. In practice this can be done in two ways: First, compressed air admitted through a pipe 50 can be used to displace the excess slime pulp. This is done by closing the valve 2 and opening the valve 9 and the drain valves 7 and 8. By opening the valve 9 in the pipe 40 leading to slimes pulp supply this excess is re turned. Valve 7 is closed as soon as all the solution is expcllcd from the tank, and the air, having displaced the excess pulp, now surrounds the filtcr diaphragms and blows or compresses the accumulated slime cakes,

thus displacing the excess liquid in the same, and admitting of their-discharge in a more dry and compact condition. Another way to empty the tank, i f it seems unnecessary to blow the slime cakes with air, is to close left, causing the bottom 10 to recedc from the tank until the wheels of the traveling carrier 25 engage the tracks 27 whereupon the entire weight of the detachable bottom with its carrier is transferred from the lugs 22 on the ring or flange of the pressure tank, to the. hacks 27 engaged by carrier wheels. As the hand wheel is turned further to the left in nut 16 the wheels of the carrier having'cngagod the track 27, the nut and attachments are raised, thus disengaging the dogs 2l from the lugs .22 and the carrier is then caused to move horizontally along the tracks far enough to permit thc free fall of the slime cakes into the slime dump-car below. To attach and lighten the bottom l0, the opcial ion is revr rm -(l [prefer to discharge the slime cakes by means of air,

steam, or other gas, or by means of water, or other liquid or solution, introduced under pressure inside of filter bags. When steamis used it is delivered into the space between the porous inner sides of the filter and expands in said space and penetrates the pores of the canvas and attacks the inner sides of the slime cake and forms a slimy surface which enable the cake to rcadily detach from the filter. When cakcs have been discharged the hopper-shaped bottom is again run back directly under the tank and clamped; the apparatus is then ready for another cycle of operations.

In some instances it is desirable to lea h or wash the cakes after they are formed on, and before they are discliargcd from, the sides of filter-bags. This can be accomplished as follows: The slimes pulp supply is'shut off by turning the cock 1 and a leaching, or washing, liquid drawn from some suitable source of supply, is supplied to the pressure pump 33, from which it flows into the top of the pressure tank, displacing slimcs pulp which is simultaneously withdrawn from the bottom of the tank, passing through the opened valves 7 and 8. Thcbatlle plate f is a disk placed inside the top of the pressure tank directly below the. end of the delivery pipe (I, and acts as a distributor: it also prevents a mixture of the leaching or wash solution during displacement, that is, it serves to make an alinenicnt between the displacing and displaced liquids. If, howcvcr, it is desired to remove slimes pulp from the tank before introducing the leaching or wash solution into the same, this can be accomplished by withdrawing from the bottom of the tank, through valves 7 and 10, air being admitted through the valve 3 or the valve 6 may be slightly opened to supply air under pressure to prevent a i'aci um being formed in the tank. When the slimcs pulp solution is all withdrawn the leaching or wash solution may be delivered at the lower end of the tank by opening the valve 12 and completely filling the tank. The pump pressure now forces the leaching or wash solution through the slime cakes on the filter diaplnagms, thus displacing any of the original solutions rctaincd by the slime cakes in the first operation. In some cases, it may be desirable to treat the slime cakes to a leaching or wash solution, or both, after they have been .iormed on the filter diaplnagms. This can be readily accomplished by the means above described. The excess solutions can be duly returned to their respcctivo supply tanks.

The upper, or top end of the tank is designed in dctachablc form to admit of its occasional removal, i1 necessary, for setting up, repairing, or cleaning the apparatus.

The air cushion 34 in the main pump delivery line (1 serves to'prm 'cnt, or equalize, any sudden variations in prcssu re i In Figs. 5 and (i, I illustrate a modified form of guide and clamp for the illtcr diaplnugnis and wherein suitable vertical rods 50 are appropriately hcld spaced from the inncr wall of the iank, and suitable clamps 5 cmbmcc the cdgcs of the diaphragm and are clampcd lhcrl-to by means of bolts 52 to which are pivoted links 53 having forked outer ends to receive the aforesaid rods 50. .This form of guide or spacer has much merit when uscd in connection with a verti al type of filter; it is dosigncd to make the operation of rcplnciflg the fillcr diaphmgms more easily and accurately performed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a stationary tank, a pressure filter supported therein, a detachable bottom for said tank, and means for detachably locking the bottom to the tank during filtration,

said lock ng means including projections on the tank, tightening-rods carried by the bottom and auaptedto engage said projections. a screw engaging said bottom and a nut carried by the said rods and through which said screw operate.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combiuation of a stationary filter tank, a bottom therefor or hopper-like form, and coactlng locking means between said bot tom and the tank whereby the bottom is removably atlached t0 the tank, said locking means including projections on the tank, tightening-rods movable with the boilom and 'adapted to engage said projections, and means for movim, the bottom relative to the tightening-rods to cause it. to close tightly against the open end of the tank.

:5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combinaiion with a filtering tank and a hollow filtering me dium contained therein and upon the outer sides of which the solid material accumulates in cake form. of a remov able bottom for said tank said bottom being independent of the filter and adapted to uncover the bottom of the tank to allow the accumulated solid matter to be delivered by gravity from the tank, and securing means for the bottom, said means including projections on the tank and tightening-rods movable with the bottom and adapted to engage rods simultaneously in opposite directions, thereby seating the bottom and also causing said connections to tighten said seating.

5. In apparatus of the character described the combination of a stationary pressure tank, a pressure filter supported therein, a removable hopper bottom for the tank, a screw turnably mounted on the lower end of said bottom. a Lightening-nut through which said screw passes, and tightening rods lixed to the nut and extending upwardly and having locking members at their upper ends, said tank having locking members with which the first-named locking members engage to hold said bottom tightly but removably against the lower end of the tank.

ii. In apparatus of the character described the combination of a tank having locking lugs at its lower end, a pressure tiller within said tank, a removable hopper bottom for the tank, tightening-rods guided on said bottom and having llUUli-Silfllitd members at their upper ends to engage the locking lugs on the tank. a nut to which the lower ends of said rods are fixed, a screw turnably mounted on the under side of said. bottom and passing through said nut, and means for operating the screw whereby said bottom is lightly but removably seated against the lower end of the tank.

7. In apparatus oi the character described the con1l ination of a tank having spacing guides fixed to its inner sides, a series or battery of filter diaphragms engaging said guides, means for detachably securing the diaphragms in position in the tank, said diaphragms having an internal screen plate and a fabric covering therefor, and an imporvious binding around the edges of the filter diaphragm adapted to facilitate the removal of the solid material by preventing the same from building up around the edges of the diaphragm and connecting cakes on opposite sidesot the same diaphragm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID J. KELLY.

Witnesses Annnirr L. 0. Gunman, Enxns'r GAYFORD. 

